Conor Swail makes the only positive Irish move in latest world top 50

Conor Swail is the only Irish rider to make an upward move inside the top 50 in the latest Longines FEI World Rankings released on Friday.

The rankings cover events up to 28th February and so do not include the successful results Irish riders achieved over the past weekend, which will be reflected in next month’s rankings.

Having scored two runner-up positions in five-star classes in February at the Winter Equestrian Festival in Florida, as well as a fifth place five-star Grand Prix finish, Swail moves up to 33rd from 36th last month.

Cian O’Connor stays at number 34, but the other six Irish riders in the upper echelons last month have dropped places, with Richie Moloney now slipping outside the top 50 to 51st.

Bertram Allen continues to be Ireland’s highest ranked rider, sharing 20th place, down from 18th last month. Allen is the only Irish rider now inside the top 30, Denis Lynch having dropped from 30th to 32nd.

Darragh Kenny dips from 32nd to 39th, with Shane Sweetnam down from 40th to 45th, and Billy Twomey is now 46th having held 41st position last month.

Further down the rankings, Daniel Coyle continues to climb, moving from 75th to 71st, and Kevin Babington emphatically enters the top 100 at 82nd from 123rd last month.

Daniel Deusser has held onto the number 1 position, and is one of four German riders now inside the top ten.